


radio midnight lullaby

by pepsipink



Series: inferno fm [2]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, Gen, Parenthood, Pregnancy, dante deserves happiness ok thanks, this is a happy feel good fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 19:51:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17966951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepsipink/pseuds/pepsipink
Summary: fatherhood wasn't something Dante thought he'd ever get to experience, thanks to the circumstances that came with being the son of Sparda. but with Featherine, it's safe to say he's hit the jackpot.





	radio midnight lullaby

**Author's Note:**

> hey nyall - this is def a sequel to my other work, Radio Midnight Blues - which is totally unfinished! :^) don't worry about it.
> 
> but considering DMC5 releases in 1 week, and i've been sitting on this fic for like... 6 months - I'm releasing it out into the open (just in case... gotta make sure my mans is happy somewhere out there...)
> 
> this is abt a year after RMB ends - Dante & Featherine have married, & i'm a sucker for soft families and cute babies.
> 
> i hope u enjoy.

It’s not until Dante practically kicks the door down to their hotel room that he senses something’s up.

She’d been fairly quiet since they’d left the hall. Their wedding wasn’t big - intimate, with only around twenty or so people, but they celebrated traditionally - a ceremony in the early evening, and a reception to show their thanks to their closest friends. He lifted her into his arms while she still wore her wedding dress, and whisked her away for their first night as a married couple.

She’s set back onto her feet, and he cups her face in his hands, gazing into her violet eyes - still so full of bliss thanks to the events of today. He tucks strands of curly blonde hair behind her ear, brushing against her signature earrings. Her disposition wasn’t…  _ bad _ , or  _ off _ \- but it was almost like she was watching Dante on cloud 9, and yet she hadn’t even gotten to the best part. Like she had something more to say, but it would probably make his heart explode. It’s in her smile - and how she presses herself against his waist. 

He leans in for a kiss, and Featherine starts laughing, wrapping her arms around him even more tightly, swaying back and forth.

“You havin’ second thoughts, babe?” Dante teases, their noses touching. “That ring’s already on your finger - should’a spoke up while you had the chance.”

She gives him a gentle shove, giggling all the while.

“It would take a lot for me to fall out of love with you, sugar.” She spins around, her back turned towards him. “Unzip me - I can’t pee like this.”

Dante practically howls, not hesitating at her request. Though her dress was large, and beautiful, he had gotten to see her in it for nearly six hours - and he could imagine how it stops being comfortable after the first thirty minutes. He removes the pins, and the straps holding her together, unhooking the zipper at last and sliding it down - freeing her from it’s confines - yet of course she’s true to her theme, her bridal lingerie is left behind once the dress hits the floor.

“We can bag that up tomorrow, no? Much more important things to tend to tonight.”

He stifles a grin, shrugging his shoulders as she steps out of her gown.

“I was serious, though - I do have to pee.”

“Don’t let me stop you, babe.” 

She blows him a kiss as she disappears into the bathroom - and he decides that now’s as good a time as ever to get their night started.

He didn’t know  _ what _ married couples did the first night of their unification, especially being that he and Featherine had been living together for nearly two years now. Of course he wouldn’t mind spending a night in her arms, but they had such a future to look forward to now - if they spent the whole night speaking about how excited they were to perhaps go on a honeymoon, and start a family - he’d be more than thrilled.

They’ve got bottles upon bottles of champagne, which was neither of their favorite, but he pops one regardless while he waits for her to return. 

She’s got a smile on her face when she closes the door behind her, and waltzes forward - and it makes him curious a second time, because that’s not her typical smile - yet he holds out the glass of champagne for her, and pats the spot beside him on the hotel bed.

But Featherine shakes her head, adorning a robe that matched with her post-wedding attire. 

“Have you not noticed that I have avoided drinks nearly all evening?”

He cocks an eyebrow, watching as she steps in front of him - taking his glass and setting aside if only for a moment. She reaches for his hands, intertwining their fingers - giving him a gentle squeeze.

“Maybe I’m a little oblivious.”

“I had Trish swap my drink before our toast - when you were too busy being roasted by Morrison.” She hums, “It looks like you’re going to have to drink all these by yourself.”

“Yeah, sweetheart? Tryin’ to get me blackout drunk?”

Featherine laughs as he pulls her hand to his lips, humming all the while. She pulls back, finally, taking a seat next to him on the mattress.

“In all seriousness, Dante - you haven’t noticed? No weird scent? My aversion to drinking - new lethargy?”

He furrows his brows, shaking his head.

“Figured it was pre-wedding jitters.”

She takes his hands in hers once more, locking eyes together - with a gentle seriousness and a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant, Dante.”

He stops breathing for a moment, eyes wide - adjusting himself to face her directly, having let go of her hands and practically gripped onto her arms. She’s trying not to break out into a smile, but he’s speechless - mouth agape.

“...Wait…” His voice is small, for once, “Really?”

She nods, exhaling as she tries to keep herself from breaking out into tears.

“We’re having a baby?”

Featherine laughs, wiping her eyes with one of her sleeves. 

“I’m already ten weeks. I found out nearly a month ago - but I wanted it to be a surprise.” She sniffles, “So - surprise!”

She hardly gets to finish her sentence before Dante snatches her up in his arms, pressing kiss after kiss against her cheeks before she’s laid back against the bed - only for him to keep going, earning even more laughter from his wife.

Featherine tries pushing him off once his stubble starts tickling at her skin, and she can hardly breathe because she’s giggling so hard - but Dante was so overwhelmed with  _ excitement _ that he could hardly contain himself, and when he finally does pull away, she can see that he’s got tears streaming down his face too.

He lays at her side, allowing Featherine to drop his hand against her belly.

“I am surprised that you didn’t notice - Trish said something nearly the day after I found out - just by my scent alone.”

“I  _ do _ spend practically every waking moment by your side, baby - maybe it was so gradual that I just… missed it.” He says, slipping his hand underneath her robe, fingertips tickling her skin - but he hesitates, a new warmth resonates throughout. “Now that I’m  _ paying attention _ , like a good husband - you do smell stronger.”

“Hmph -  _ thanks _ !”

He chuckles, a chaste kiss to her lips at last.

“You know what I mean, boo.” Dante snarls into the crook of her neck, “Like ya’ got demon spawn growin’ in you.”

“Is it a good scent, at least?”

“I think it’s good.”

“Trish said I smelled more like you - I wasn’t sure if I should have taken a hundred more showers.” She grins, watching as Dante’s expression squishes his features together. “But - you know.”

He retaliates by pinning her to the bed, blowing raspberries into her stomach - letting the endless sound of her giggles fill the room. Dante pulls himself to a halt, nose pressed against her belly, a smile spread across his face. Featherine pets her hand through his hair, trying to catch her breath after all of the laughter - but they sit in silence for just a moment.

Dante kisses at her warm skin, gently.

“Don’t give your mom too much trouble while you’re stuck with her, alright?”

“ _ Stuck with her. _ ”

He chuckles.

“And between you and me, kid - dad’s gonna spoil the hell outta you.”

A pause.

“Right - I’m your dad.” Dante places another kiss to her belly, “I’m gonna love you and your mom with everything I’ve got.”

* * *

 

Dante’s given a few guidelines once they return from their relatively short honeymoon out by the oceanside - a majority that he already knew, but Featherine was insistent that they make a  _ pact _ with each other to keep their mouths shut until she was in the clear and free to be as pregnant as she possibly could.

Throughout their excursion, she’d been ridden with morning sickness, and exhaustion, to the point where they couldn’t really do much aside from lay on the beach, which was sort of the point, yet they were constantly apologizing to one another (“I’m sorry for being so sick!” vs. “I’m sorry for getting you pregnant.”) but they always wound up laughing in each others arms during the night until they fell asleep.

Dante had learned that of their friends, only Trish and Kyrie had known - Trish because she  _ sniffed _ it, and Kyrie because she and Featherine were fairly close, and Featherine wanted some company on her first visit to a proper doctor. Kyrie wanted children eventually, anyway, so accompanying her was a good first step in understanding just how everything worked. 

Everyone else, for the most part, was clueless. 

Yet that faithful week passes where expecting couples were typically given the  _ ok _ to start telling their family and friends, and Featherine practically has to hold Dante on by a leash; because they have to  _ discuss _ these things - as husband and wife.

It still made them so giddy to refer to each other as such.

They both would prefer a home birth - just because if Featherine  _ does _ pop out a kid with horns, it’d be less troubling to explain. 

Their first appointment with their midwife goes along well, as Dante sits by Featherine’s side for the entire time, holding her hand as she gets prodded by foreign hands - but they’re told that she’s in good health, and that their baby is doing well. It’s evident when they’re finally given an opportunity to listen to it’s tiny little heart, they sit stone still - this was  _ real _ .

* * *

 

The first person Dante calls is Nero - even though Kyrie’s known for quite some time. 

More or less  _ calls _ , and certainly  _ forces _ Nero and Kyrie to come down for the day to “”discuss business”” because Dante  _ was _ in charge of Nero’s up and coming mercenary work. 

So when Nero arrives, and Dante has fuck- _ nothing _ prepared, he nearly chews his uncle out for making him waste the gas, until he realizes that  _ maybe _ Dante was just lookin’ to spend time with his nephew. It’s not so bad - knowing that he had family that was actively trying to be a part of his life.

He learns that Featherine’s spending the day in bed - again, and had brought a  _ get well soon _ fruit basket for her, from his and Kyrie’s favorite bakery in downtown Fortuna. Yet she’s sitting on Dante’s couch wrapped in blankets when they arrive, watching some documentary about tourism on the television - the episode about Fortuna and it’s strange worship of the Dark Lord Sparda is soon, and she excitedly tells them about it before needing to be excused to vomit for the sixth time that afternoon. 

“She seeing a doctor?”

Dante cackles, following his wife into the bathroom to make sure that she’s not struggling too much, leaving Nero absolutely perplexed while Kyrie gives her boyfriend a gentle pat on the back.

“They’re good for each other.” She says, as the sound of Featherine retching into the toilet echoes throughout the office. 

Nero doesn’t get it.

Featherine apologizes near profusely once she’s cleaned up and back on the couch with a giant bottle of water, and the fruit that her family had brought. The morning sickness was a  _ lot _ , and they’re not entirely sure if it’s just worse…  _ because _ she is carrying a child that actually isn’t 100% human, or if it was always supposed to be this bad but she’s going on three months now, and the nausea wasn’t settling no matter what she did differently - and that did kind of suck, but she’s the happiest she’s been nearly her entire life - and her smile probably makes Dante’s nephew think she’s actually a nutcase. 

So Dante and Nero actually  _ do _ get to discussing business, and how Nero’s been doing once he finally got on his feet. He’s given contact information for the informants that Dante works with, and jobs he should be weary of, and what he should look out for when people call with the  _ password _ .

But Dante’s got one last question, that he really doesn’t want to ask, judging by how he fidgets in his seat a little bit, and Featherine’s gotten up to stand by his side - and they’re holding  _ hands _ .

“I ain’t retiring.” Dante makes that known, upfront. “But Featherine and I are gonna want some time off in the future - and we were hopin’ that you’d look after the business full-stop when that happens. ‘Cuz I trust you, and I know you can do it - but I’d rather ask your permission first.”

Nero blinks, looking back to Kyrie who has a kind, yet  _ knowing _ smile on her face.

“I mean - yeah, I’d love to. But what’s this about?”

“It’s because I’m pregnant - and we’re going to need all of the help we can get.”

He looks up at Featherine, a bit wide-eyed.

“Yeah - so when we have our baby, I’d like to be around to raise ‘em as much as I can.”

“You guys are gonna be parents?” He asks, “That’s great!”

Nero’s eyes light up, and he hesitantly wraps his arms around his aunt, smiling once she starts laughing. It was exciting, to know that this family he didn’t even know  _ existed _ until a couple of years ago was growing - and he had gone from having nothing, to having an uncle - and soon, he was going to have a  _ cousin _ . 

“I’d love to help out - if there’s anything I can do!” He flashes a smile at his uncle, before turning to his partner. “Kyrie - they’re havin’ a kid!”

“Oh - I’ve known~”

Featherine and Kyrie laugh.

“I was the first person Featherine told - isn’t it exciting?!”

“Ah -  _ you _ knew and didn’t say anything?!”

“Relax, kid - she knew even before I did - we both got big mouths, can you blame ‘em?”

Nero huffs, if only for a moment, before patting his uncle on the shoulder. They both had this unspoken bond, of Dante being the closest thing to Nero’s father figure - this news was intimate for their small family, and though there’s no real way for them to celebrate the usual Sparda bloodline way, Nero makes it  _ clear _ that he’s set to help around the business, and that he wants to be prevalent in the baby’s life.

Featherine’s finally given the opportunity to show off grainy photos from her previous doctor’s appointment, and manages to get nearly the entire household in tears out of sheer happiness.

Maybe being a family wasn’t all that bad.

* * *

 

Trish and Lady are next - well, Lady’s next. 

They go out every Friday night - with a double date mentality, but tonight’s a little different because they do dinner, and then decide to head out to the boardwalk to play some games. What catches Lady’s eye is Dante’s newfound desire to win a goldmine of dumb plush animals, because they weren’t really his or Featherine’s style, and he refuses to explain  _ why _ winning that gigantic plush lion was so fucking important tonight - Lady preferred when they went into the  _ Resident Evil _ arcade game and used their superior shooting skills to practically break it into needing renovations. 

He smashes his fist on the machine - shaking it up so hard that people start staring.

“I’m not leavin’ till I get that son of a bitch.”

“Where the hell are you gonna  _ put _ it?” Lady asks, taking a seat next to Dante on the bench. “You know better than to try your hand at luck based games.”

“Yeah - but it  _ speaks _ to me.” He’s put in another token, revving the claw up once more - three new chances to make it his. “ _ Win me, Dante _ .”

“Is it possessed, or something?”

“No.” Trish says, “I have a feeling I know why. Just don’t spend all of your money on it, Dante - you  _ do _ have other financial matters to worry about.”

She shifts her gaze towards Featherine, sticking her tongue out at her friend. Featherine can’t help but smile, swiftly placing her hands on Dante’s shoulders, massaging into him - she leans forward, a kiss to his cheek.

“No need to stress - we’ve got months to win this big guy, don’t we?”

Lady huffs, clenching her fists as she watches Dante fail to grab the toy for the seventh time in a row. 

“What are you guys fucking talking about?! Dante - you suck at this!”

She practically shoves him off the bench so she can get her hands at the claw controls, biting down on her lip as she channels all of her concentration into the game. Her fist wrapped around the joystick as the funky music starts playing signaling that she’s got about fourty-five seconds to get this shit done.

Her sunglasses slid down her nose, eyes focused on the movement of the claw - jerking it forward, and back, and slightly to the right - she drops the jumbo-sized mechanism down, and it hooks into the lion’s collar, trapping him in a chokehold.

Her three friends gasp, eyes wide as they watch her do her thing, the claw slowly lifting it up, towards the gate.

“Fuck.”

It’s dropped it over the side, leaving the animal limp to fall down the hatch.

“No - one more shove’ll do it. I’m gonna get this goddamn lion, Dante - can be another thing that you owe me.”

“Nope. This baby’s still running on my token - you got one more try.  _ My _ money.”

“ _ My _ talent.”

They all shut up when Lady initiates the final run of the token’s life - the music having started up again, and with intense precision, and breaths being held - Lady nabs the lion by it’s backside, hesitantly allowing the claw to lift it into the air.

She closes her eyes as the machine takes the reins, hoisting the lion above the hatch - releasing the claw, and -    


“You fuckin’ did that!”

She’s met with an encouraging slap to the back - surprised that it actually  _ worked _ , seeing Dante’s smile practically light up the whole ass arcade. Lady reaches for the stuffed animal through the machine, practically needing two hands to yank it out of there - oversized and overstuffed. 

Holding out to Dante, she smiles, yet when he tries to reach for it, she yanks it back.

“You can have it when you tell me what’s going on.” She says, her face dropping into something completely serious. “Why did you just spend like, fifty bucks trying to win this thing? Why are Trish and Featherine making weird ominous comments to each other? I don’t like being left in the dark, and I’m not gonna let you keep me there.”

“Jesus, can’t a guy want to win something cute for someone else?”

“This lion’s not for Featherine and I know it.”

The couple breaks out into laughter, Dante having wrapped an arm around Featherine’s waist - his other hand is placed low against her belly. Featherine wipes her eyes with her sleeve, tears from laughing so hard - she smiles at Lady who still looks  _ angry _ and Trish who rubs her girlfriend’s back, trying to get her to calm down.

“We’re havin’ a kid!” Dante exclaims, “Featherine’s due in the fall.”

“I’m a little over thirteen weeks along. We’ve been waiting to tell you!”

Lady stares blankly at the two, limply sitting back against the bench, earning even harder laughter from her girlfriend.

“Congratulate them, sweetheart.” Trish says, “You and I are going to be aunts~”

“Aunts… oh, christ.” Lady shakes her head, handing the stuffed lion over to Featherine, “God, you guys didn’t waste any time, huh. Well - congratulations!”

“You seem flustered.” Featherine pouts, “Bad time to bring it up?”

“What?! No! I’m happy for you two! That lion’s for your kid, huh?”

“Don’t worry - I’ll tell ‘em that Aunt Lady won it because their useless luckless father can defeat the king of hell, but not a goddamn claw machine.”

Lady laughs, finally launching herself forward - wrapping her arms around Dante and Featherine, squeezing them both tight.

She pulls away, looking back towards Trish.

“Lemme guess - you smelled something up with Featherine and knew from the start?”

“Perhaps I did.”

“I do hate you.”

Featherine leans into Dante, giving the lion a gentle squeeze, as she smiles at the two.

“In all seriousness - Lady, Trish.” She says, “Dante and I have been discussing this to quite great lengths - since we’d like to be prepared for the baby, and all.”

Dante nods his head, rubbing his wife’s shoulder, stifling laughter when now  _ both _ his best friends look perplexed.

“We were hoping that you two would be our baby’s godparents. We want our child to be familiar with you two, and we know that we can trust you should anything go wrong.” Featherine smiles to the couple, leaning her head on Dante’s shoulder. “And that you can kick anybody’s ass in case somebody might want a piece of them.”

Lady and Trish look at one another, at first wide eyed, but their expressions quickly change from confusion to excitement, to the two of them giving each other high-fives and cheering on both Dante and Featherine.

“ _ Yes _ !” Lady exclaims, “I’m gonna be a cool lesbian aunt! And Trish’ll be a demon godmother,  _ hahahaha _ .”

Trish rolls her eyes, but gives Dante a gentle squeeze on his shoulder.

“You two are going to make wonderful parents.”

“Thanks - we  _ will _ need the help, though.”

“You’ve got as much help as you need from us, Dante. C’mon - I’ll get Lady to win the baby even more ugly plush toys.”

Needless to say, Dante and Featherine went home with a whole-ass cart full of them.

* * *

 

Once Featherine starts showing, the whole  _ real  _ factor of their imminent parenthood starts really sinking in. She’d always took pride in her body - having been rather curvy since her youth, so it took a bit before she actually  _ looked _ pregnant.

Dante didn’t  _ mind _ getting dragged around from store to store with her, in search of new clothing, but she still felt bad doing so because it couldn’t have  _ possibly _ been fun. Yet he sits there when she exits the dressing room, twirling around in some new gown, or in an oversized sweater, and he’s got the biggest,  _ dumbest _ smile on his face and tells her to buy all of it because she looks cute no matter what. 

It only gets better once Featherine speaks up about feeling movement, though it was all very gentle, and she could tell that her husband wouldn’t be able to engage just quite yet. On the flip side, Dante says this kid’s got wild energy - and that the baby’s presence is  _ very _ strong, which is almost alarming, but it doesn’t mean more than that this kid’s probably gonna be shootin’ fireworks as a toddler once it figures out how to utilize those quarter-demon abilities. Featherine kicks him in his side for getting her worried. 

The spare in Dante’s quarters had been officially cleared out, and he’s been humoring the idea of buying out the rest of the building to utilize as much space as they needed. All that meant was getting started on the kid’s room, but one of the most important things that they’d been waiting on was knowing what they were  _ having _ .

Not that they really cared too much - as long as their child was born in tact, and was healthy - but it would have been easier to get started on things once they’d known.  _ Infuriating _ , because Trish says she knows, and Dante’s got an idea but he can’t be sure and Featherine’s fucking  _ tired _ of these demons in her home keeping secrets from her so she books her appointment with a doctor to find out once and for all.

Featherine doesn’t tell Dante that they’re having a girl for nearly a whole month.

When he finds out - he exclaims that he was  _ right _ about his hunch, and then immediately starts cry-laughing because of how excited he is. His hand splayed against her belly, as he tries communicating to their poor unborn child that he’s gonna make sure she knows how to kick ass, and an apology just in case she gets his nose, and the excitement he feels when she starts kicking at his palm because he’s being  _ annoying _ .

Now he had to think of a name.

* * *

 

Among the last few people to know are Morrison, and Patty - Morrison was no issue, with a quick congratulations and question on how much time Dante was going to need off. 

_ Patty _ on the other hand was a bit more of a conversation, with her being in her early twenties, and being prone to fucking off for months at a time only to come back to some new nonsense that Dante’s cooked up. The discussion of Dante dating, and then  _ marrying _ Featherine was frustrating enough, because she still had the idea that Dante wasn’t a man in his late thirties who was capable of being a functioning adult - and now he was going to be a father when he didn’t even want to take care of  _ her _ when she was ten.

It doesn’t go along terribly, though - her disgust is quick, and she shakes it off when she sees how genuinely happy the couple is.

And with her career as a fashion designer, making affordable clothing for children, and donating the profits to different charities, her eyes light up once she realizes what this means for  _ her _ .

“The next time you see me, I’m gonna have some outfits for Dante junior~” She hums, “Or Featherine junior - you’re having a girl, right?”

Dante pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Take your time.”

In doing all of this - Dante and Featherine find a lot of  _ goods _ arriving to the office, a lot for the baby, a lot for the couple. It felt nice to know that all of their friends were so excited for them, especially those who knew of their rather lonely and hopeless pasts. 

A baby was really good for them. 

And even though Patty initially mocked Dante for his inability to take care of even himself, she knows that he’s lived a life of tragedy, and that he at least had something good coming his way. And Patty would never admit it, but their relationship was certainly much like a parent to child, and they learned a lot from one another. Now Dante can use all of that knowledge and put it to the test with his daughter.

She sends them baby clothes nearly a week after she was told.

* * *

 

On a particularly hot summer evening, husband and wife decide to eat at their favorite diner in order to celebrate Featherine’s morning sickness having mostly faded.

Dante’s business had never quite been  _ bustling _ , especially with Fortuna having shut down a lot of demon activity. A majority of what’d been going down were isolated incidents, and tying up any loose ends - his amount of freetime was nearly ridiculous, but when things did pick up, he’d be gone for hours, and sometimes days, if it really called for it.

When that happened, Dante made it a point to come home and give Featherine his complete and undivided attention. Lounging about with trashy food, and some silly movie were often enough to satisfy them, but sometimes they wanted a little more.

And often that little more was a grand ice cream that they could split with one another.

Featherine glows, sitting in front of him, spooning into the sundae as if it were a delicacy. She’d grown fairly significantly within the last few months, still able to sit in the booth with only limited difficulty, but it was endearing to Dante. Her long blonde hair is tied into a braid, and despite her exhaustion, she still went out of her way to do her makeup, which she insisted was for Cindy at the diner, but he knew that she liked making herself look like a literal goddess. 

He’s reminded to have Nero take their photo in the future - for keepsake, because if Dante had any regrets, it was being unable to photograph many of the memories he held most dear. He was getting better at it, though - evident by how he pulls out his phone and tells her to smile.

Featherine eats that shit up. 

He can’t help but smile into their dessert, placing his spoon down against the table’s surface.

“How’ve you been feeling?”

Featherine shrugs, her dark skin flushed a tinge of pink.

“The little monster I’m growing has finally called it quits for the evening.” She laughs, “I’ve been feeling much better, lately - honestly. You always look so worried when I whine about my back, or talk about how tired I’ve been.”

“Can you blame me? Like you said - that ain’t a baby, it’s a  _ monster _ .”

Featherine sticks her tongue out at him, her hand resting atop her belly. 

“ _ Our _ monster - I can handle her - don’t fret.”

“If you insist, sweetheart.”

He reaches his hand forward, allowing her to place her’s on top of his. They intertwined, giving Dante the opportunity to fiddle with her wedding ring. His lips purse for a moment, as he tries thinking of the proper words to say - in order to bring up what he intended to bring up.

They agreed to have him choose her name - as a challenge. Had they been having a boy, Featherine would have chosen one - but Dante was given this opportunity.

His gaze is tilted up, soft as he admires his wife’s beauty.

“I’ve been thinking of a name.” Dante says, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Oh, you have? I was worried our child would be born nameless~” 

He scoffs, rolling his head back in exaggeration.

“Cut me some slack - If I knew you wouldn’t slaughter me, I’d name her some shit like after one of my swords.”

“That was never an option.”

He returns the favor of sticking out  _ his _ tongue, earning a giggle from his wife. He watches as her free-hand caresses her belly, fingertips dancing over the white fabric of her sun-dress, knowing that she was just as ready to name this baby so they could finally get started on normalizing her presence around their household.

Dante looks away for a moment, a gentle pause before he returns back to his initial train of thought.

“My mom used to take me and my brother to a lot of plays. It’d be like a family outing - they were all so fuckin’ boring, but she really liked ‘em. Even my dad couldn’t stand going to those things - but he’d do it because it made her happy.” 

His gaze is tilted towards the surface of the table, watching as the ice cream melts over the side of the cup - just from the sheer summer warmth emitting its way into the heavily air conditioned diner.

“She liked comedies more than dramas - but there was an actress that she’d fight to see nearly every time, because she said that this actress was the only one who could take even the worst role and make it good - because she believed it, and my mom admired that. This woman’s performances always brought her to tears - made no sense. She was a fuckin’ stranger, yunno? But my mom sorta idolized her.”

“I have a difficult time seeing you try and attend  _ plays _ .”

“Believe me, I slept through nearly every one.” He says, “I’ve been thinkin’ a lot about this - and like, I don’t wanna name our kid after my mom. That’s so easy - but I wanna offer tribute to her, if that even makes any sense.”

“Then you’d best tell me this actresses name.”

“Been repeating it over and over -  _ Francesca _ .” Dante pauses, “I can see our kid when I say that name. It’s a little traditional, but I feel like it’s got a touch of spice - no one’s gonna mess with a kid named Francesca.”

“Francesca.”

Dante’s blue eyes look to Featherine with hope, as the name lingers on her tongue, and she contemplates - hand paused as she feels movement once more, flashing a smile to her husband.

“I think that name is perfect.”

* * *

 

Nero and Kyrie were around a lot more often, now that Nero was taking initiative for the business - but business wasn’t all that they’d been discussing. 

With Nero up to date about his heritage, and whatnot, sometimes he’d come with  _ questions _ for Dante - about what it was like to be part of Sparda’s bloodline, or anything  _ nice _ about his father that he could know. It hurts Dante’s feelings, just a little, that Nero grew up so alone without having any family in his life, while he wasn’t even entirely  _ human _ , and just had to deal with all that himself. 

Dante makes a vow to be upfront about who he is to his own kid, and what they can look forward to should they ask. 

And while Nero was around, he offered to help do-up the baby’s bedroom - as he had a knack for creativity, and loved long drawn out DIY projects. He expresses pride that he designed his own sword, and gun - modifying it to look how  _ he _ wanted to, and that, yeah, if Dante wanted this kid’s room to look good, Nero was gonna make it look  _ good _ . 

Dante was never great at  _ design _ , as evident by his office that was falling apart and probably due for an upgrade - that was a plan for later. 

The room had been used for storage - and Trish, for so long, that when she moved out, it just started to collect dust, but it wasn’t completely unfixable - it was just going to take… a couple of days of cleaning, and rearranging - which meant that Nero’d be spending maybe the week there. But it wasn’t like any of them were complaining, because Dante  _ liked _ having their company, and it felt good being able to wake up to a house full of his family and reminded him that this was something he actually had to look  _ forward _ to.

He says using colors such as pink would be too overbearing, and too  _ stereotypical _ , to which Dante and Featherine agree, and that maybe just doing an accent wall would be enough and that more neutral colors are better for transition once she gets older. Dante doesn’t understand a goddamn word of it but if anything, it shows that Nero’s just as excited to be around a new baby as her parents were.

Once Nero gets in the zone, he’s practically unstoppable, and all Dante has to do is follow his orders, because the kid had a vision. 

It pulls together a little too nicely - Dante can hardly believe that this was once a room littered with  _ storage _ . Dante and Featherine liked practicality; they didn’t want anything that was too obnoxiously new-baby over the top, just some place comfortable for the kid to grow up in. Nothing too overbearing, or crowded - it was realistic, and exactly what they were looking for - and he  _ tries _ paying Nero for his time, but he insists that it’s nothing - he’s just happy he got to be around his aunt and uncle, and a sheepish admittance that he likes kids and hopes of having some with Kyrie one day, so he’s excited to meet Francesca come the fall. 

Kyrie giggles when Featherine invites her to feel the baby’s kicks for herself, finding it a little bit horrifying. They both lock eyes with Nero when they finally head back towards the office, and burst out into laughter.

“Kyrie must love you a lot if she’s willing to go through with this eventually.” Featherine hums, keeping Kyrie’s hand pressed into the fabric of her dress. “How’s the room looking?”

“It’s  _ art _ .” Nero gives a sheepish shrug, “Your kid’s gonna thank the hell out of me.”

“Don’t get too cocky - I had to stop you from painting fuckin’ murals all over the place.” Dante gives a reassuring slap to Nero’s back, earning a pout from his nephew. “How’re you feelin’, sugar?”

He references a bout of exhaustion that she’d been feeling since she woke up. Though she was happy to be bearing a child, it still took much more out of her than she was really anticipating, and they didn’t really have any answers regarding if this was just the torture of interspecies procreation. It did hurt him to see her struggling so much, but she was so strong for following through - his main goal was to make sure that she was as comfortable as possible throughout all of it. It was the least he could do. 

Kyrie’s since removed her hand, allowing Featherine a bit more free reign - the two having become very close since being introduced to one another. Featherine closes her eyes, resting back against the couch cushions.

“Better. Not as short of breath - your daughter is going to be a troublemaker.”

“ _ My _ daughter.”

“Featherine, you  _ are _ carrying an entire little person - I don’t think it’s supposed to be fun for your body.” Kyrie frowns, “You need to rest - Nero and I don’t mind helping you around!”

“Neither does dad, babe. I just want you to be comfortable for the remainder of this shit.”

She rolls her violet eyes, pushing herself up in an effort to get off of the couch - she flinches, with a quick gasp of air, clutching onto the cushions. Dante’s by her side near immediately, with Kyrie and Nero closely following.

Dante’s hand is on her back, trying to keep her upright, but she sort of turns her head towards him - and sticks her tongue out.

“I am just messing with you.”

“ _ Featherine _ .” 

Dante groans, pinching the bridge of his nose.

* * *

 

There was still one other person to talk to about this whole ordeal, even though Featherine was well along into her pregnancy. 

He only made this trip once a year, mostly because he didn’t really have all that much to talk about, but as of late - he’d been showing up with news that only got more exciting as his time with Featherine went on. It wasn’t so much that the trip brought back memories that were too painful to bear - he just thinks that she’d want him to go about doing his thing, and not to waste time apologizing for everything that she’d gone through.

The flowers are set down, and Dante looks forward - his mother’s grave had blossomed with wild foliage, decorating her memorial quite beautifully. 

“Sorry I’m a little late this year. Been training Nero how to handle paperwork - he’s nineteen now, can you believe it?” 

He reaches for his wallet, sifting through polaroids that had been discarded around his office. He made sure to make duplicates of some, but he liked being able to show his mom some of the things that their family was up to. By now, she knows Nero pretty well, along with Lady, and Trish - and within the last two years, she was introduced to Featherine. 

His mom knew that he had gotten engaged quite a few months prior, showing off photos of Featherine’s brightly lit up face as she held her hand to her cheek and showed off the ring Dante had gotten for her. 

“I know you’re probably rolling your eyes at me ‘cuz I’m still real bitter about Vergil, and everything his dumbass did - but I’ll hand it to him - Nero’s a great kid. Granted, I think he turned out so good because Vergil didn’t get to touch him.” Dante scoffs, noting the ladybug that’s landed on the photo of Nero he had set down. “Sorry - don’t smite me.”

He updates the photos every year, not once failing to bring her a gift of some sort - and occasionally something for his father. Though Sparda had passed, leaving his family with little to no answers, Dante sort of likes to think that he’s at least happy with his mom - somewhere. He and Vergil used to quarrel practically every hour, leaving their parents exasperated, and it probably makes them laugh to think that even throughout their adulthood, that they still have a rivalry going - even though Vergil’s probably dead.

Regardless, Dante does love Nero as if he’s his own kid - though they’ve known each other for a short time, he’s tried being a mentor to him as best as he can. He remembers being young, with strange abilities - not knowing who he was, and what he should be doing - he hopes that Nero’s at least a little more confident now, knowing he’s not alone.

The next photo Dante sets down is of his and Featherine’s wedding - Nero having snapped the photo after their kiss, their smiles center the scene. 

“Featherine and I had a small ceremony - she initially didn’t really want anything at all, but I dunno - thought she deserved to wear the dress, to give her  _ something _ a little traditional, despite marrying the most  _ un _ traditional man on the planet.” He says, “Yeah - didn’t think I’d ever find someone, did you?”

Dante decides to sit down, knowing the grass is gonna stain his coat and he’s gonna have to drop it off at the drycleaners for the fourth time that week, but he sifts through another couple of polaroids, before stopping on two - shoving the rest into his wallet once more.

“I love Featherine a lot - meeting her is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, yunno? It means a lot to me that you like her - I think you’d get along. Dad would like her too - oh, actually - I dunno if he’s with you or not, but I want him to hear this if he is.”

The first photo is of his wife, smiling at the camera as she stands in front of the ocean - a brief visit to Fortuna, sunset reflecting off of her brown skin. Featherine is adorned in a white sundress, her belly rounded out underneath, caught in the wind as the photo was taken - absolutely glowing.

“We’re havin’ a baby - I’m gonna be a  _ dad _ .”

He doesn’t hold back a smile, placing the photo next to the one of his wedding. Dante laughs, running his hand through his hair, staring down at the next photo in near disbelief - like he hasn’t been preparing for this for nearly five months with his wife. 

“Uh - we’re having a girl. We’re naming her Francesca - figured you’d be happy about that, mom.” Dante sets down a picture from one of Featherine’s scans - their peanut looking baby who they were going to meet in just a few weeks. “Featherine’s due in November - we’re really excited. Nero helped us do up her room - it’s perfect. Trish and Lady are gonna be her godparents - Nero’s taking over the business for a bit while we get ready for her to arrive.”

He stands, admiring the new decorations on his mother’s grave - photos, and flowers brightening the atmosphere.

“Featherine wants to visit - couldn’t come today for obvious reasons, but maybe for the Holidays we’ll swing by.” Dante grins, “And Francesca will be with us.”

Dusting off his coat, Dante steps forward to the stone - touching his hand to it.

“I love you, mom - thanks for everything you’ve given me.” 

A laugh.

“And dad too.”

* * *

 

On a particular day where Dante is dealing with business with Morrison, and Trish - he’d be out all day, and decided that now was a good time for Nero to practice being on call - even though realistically, he knew that he wasn’t getting any business any time soon.

What gets Featherine’s attention is how unusually quiet he is - having been away from Kyrie while she and Lady are out shopping. He fiddles on his phone, and silently curses at the mobage he’d been playing through. Though she couldn’t do much for him, and he insisted that he was alright where he was - on the opposite side of the couch while Featherine sifted through paperwork, she knew he was stressing about  _ something _ .

It wasn’t that he was acting  _ shy _ around her - he was there for business, despite there being none, but the silence in the room is only pardoned by the sound of some anime re-run playing in the background. 

It’s when Featherine looks at him, for nearly breaking his phone in half with his claw, that he sheepishly sinks into the cushions, looking away from his aunt.

“Difficult battle?” She asks, cocking a brow.

Nero freezes, setting the device aside.

“Only way to get anywhere in it is to spend your real-ass people money and sell your soul to the game so you can move up in the ranks.” He mumbles, “I don’t have time for that.”

She laughs, shaking her head.

“So I guess I shouldn’t engage with it.” 

Featherine takes a peak over at the screen, prompting Nero to shift a little closer to her. He demonstrates the game’s screen - holding it so she can get a better look.

“I’m already max level with my main, but some of my other characters need the help so I’ve been trying to level them up too - so I like to throw them against really hard battles with my main, and let them take the experience from that, but they’re lower levels so it’s a gamble.”

She pretends like she got all of that.

“May I try a battle? Or will I mess it up should I lose.”

Nero laughs, pulling up an lower leveled quest.

“Nah - I got enough stamina to go a few more rounds. I’ll put you in an easy one so I can show you how to play.”

Featherine nods, taking the phone into her hands, decorated nails tap against the screen to start, and Nero starts telling her where to go and what each function is for.

Surprising to both of them, she gets the hang of it fairly quickly and knocks out the enemies with little to no trouble, but it’s attributed to the low difficulty and that fact that Nero is fucking level 99. It’s when she decides to take on the quest that Nero was having trouble with that he’s left  _ dumb _ founded - because she takes it head on, and kicks it’s ass a thousand times over - and leaves his other two characters with a hefty amount of exp to boost their levels. 

Nero’s never not gonna be shocked by how cool and down to earth his badass aunt is.

He stares at her in disbelief, taking the phone back as she giggles and pats him on the shoulder - as if this was a mere mistake. Granted, it  _ was _ , but Featherine’s got some nerdy history behind her that she’d hardly delved into and he was about to interrogate her.

But Featherine smiles, and looks to her  _ own _ phone that’s pinged with a message from Dante, saying that he’d be on his way back with Trish - earning a gentle sigh.

“Do you feel alright? With taking over  _ Devil May Cry _ for a while?”

Nero shrugs, exiting the game and placing his phone down.

“I just want to make sure - your uncle and I know that you’re capable, but we’d never force you to lead the business if it wasn’t something you felt confident doing.”

“Ah - it’s not that. I’ve been fighting since I was a kid, and I’m good at it too.” Nero fiddles with the buttons on his jacket, turning his gaze towards the floor. “And I’m happy to spend time around you - Kyrie and I have been tryin’ to find apartments that are a little closer. Um, it’s nice to have family… people who believe in me.”

“I understand.” Featherine smiles to her nephew, “Perhaps - I shouldn’t say this. You do know that Dante feels very guilty over being unable to raise you.”

Blue eyes look up in confusion, his brows furrowed.

“I mean… he’s told me that he would’ve helped out if he knew about me earlier.” Nero bites his lip, “When we talked about my origin, he asked if I wanted him to be my legal guardian - we signed some paperwork. Guess it was weird - I turned 18 the next year.”

Featherine laughs, giving a sharp inhale - earning a concerned look from her nephew, only this time she’s not joking, and she reaches for his right hand, and squeezes it tight.

“S-Should I call Dante?”

“No-no. I’m sorry, Nero.” She takes a deep breath, “Aches and pains… body practicing for labor.”

“Isn’t it a little too early?”

“That was no contraction - much too sharp. I’m used to these.” A laugh, “Being pregnant does kind of suck at times. Sorry to frighten you - I’m not determined to force you to drive me to a hospital - especially when we are the only two home.”

Upon noticing that she still has his hand - she gives it another squeeze, he was gripping her harder than she had been gripping  _ him _ . She laughs, messying up his hair, earning a flushed look from him as he falls back against the couch once more - checking the time on his phone.

“In all seriousness - what do you  _ mean _ Dante feels  _ guilty _ ?” He asks, “I’m not  _ his _ son.”

“I just mean that he wishes to remain close to you - he values family very highly, and has expressed that he enjoys treating you as his son. I’m not sure if that’s how you feel - as you two are uncle and nephew, but he’s worked very hard to make sure that you feel comfortable with knowing who you are, because he did not get that luxury growing up.”

“I mean - it’s nice having someone to tell me.”

Featherine turns to face him, as best as he can despite her growing belly. She sees uncertainty in his eyes, and offers him a smile once more.

“Do you see Dante as a father?”

“Uhm.”

He’s frozen, tense as he locks eyes with his aunt, trying to comprehend exactly what he’d been asked. Nero can see her brows furrow, face wrought with concern that perhaps she’d asked a very invasive question - but he knows it’s not her intention. While trying to work into becoming a functional family, these things  _ needed _ to be discussed - none of them had any real clue of what that concept meant to one another.

So does Nero see Dante as a father? A guardian to rely on?

He plays with the fabric of his shirt, averting his gaze again - his leg bounces nervously, certainly catching Featherine’s attention. She places her hand on his knee - as if to stop his jitters from getting the best of him.

“I won’t tell.”

A deep breath, and he nods his head.

“Saying yes feels like a disservice to my actual father - like he’ll smite me from the grave.” Nero’s voice is small, but he looks up at his aunt - and he nods. “I do, yeah.”

Featherine smiles, her eyes light up a bit.

“And - God, don’t take this the wrong way - ‘cuz I am excited for you guys, and I’m excited to… have a cousin.” 

Nero pauses, running his hand through his white hair, heart racing as he tries to approach his feelings in a way that hopefully wouldn’t make Featherine shave him bald - she seems genuinely curious, though. Anxiety was a hard bitch to bargain with.

“But I’m trying not to be jealous - yunno? Cuz I only met this guy like three years ago, and he  _ adopted _ me and I’m finally comfortable calling you guys my family - and now you’re having a baby, and she’s gonna get the opportunity to have  _ parents _ \- “

“But you didn’t have that luxury.”

“I didn’t - and I’m going to be the best cousin I can be - but I’m trying to work through my own… abandonment issues. Like what the fuck am I even so entitled for? You and Dante were orphans too. I have no right.”

Featherine sighs, eyes closing as she places her hand on Nero’s shoulder.

“You aren’t selfish for feeling this way - I think it is something us… less fortunate youth’s all go through.” She says, “If it’s any consolation - I do like to think of you as my own, Nero. Just as Dante was excited to discover you were his nephew - when we became a couple, and became engaged - I was over the moon about adopting his family as my own.”

Nero leans into her touch, allowing Featherine to wrap him into an embrace - his head against her shoulder. 

“I’m sorry - I guess I just feel like I missed out on a lot because of how bad my childhood was.” Nero closes his eyes, “Regardless - thanks for taking on that role for me. It’s… nice… being surrounded by people who want you around.”

Featherine smiles, pulling back from her nephew, relieved that he’s loosened up a bit. Nero wasn’t one to really freely talk about what he was feeling - not to her, or Dante anyway - she knew that it wasn’t easy. But she still commends him on at least getting this far.

She takes his hands, squeezing them tight.

“We’ve still got a lot to learn about one another. I think the only place we can go from here is up.”

Featherine places his hand against her belly, where her baby kicks and nudges underneath his palm, and he initially tries to pull back - almost frightened by the notion, but she’s stubborn, and keeps him placed still.

“I would like if you and Francesca were close.” Featherine says, letting go of his devil bringer - he stays put, seemingly more at ease with the idea. “I would be more than thrilled if she turns out to be anything like you, Nero.”

Nero keeps his gaze pointed down, but he gives a sheepish smile to his aunt - nodding his head. His arm glows with warmth, a sentiment that only occurred when he felt truly happy, and at peace. 

If this was what it meant to be a family, then Featherine was right - things were only going to get better.

* * *

It was difficult to  _ not _ be stressed.

They were preparing for a whole new person, after all - and Featherine’s put on bedrest until it’s time for her to pop the damn kid out. She’s not high-risk, despite this baby being quarter-demon, but the frequent exhaustion was still a little bit alarming, and Dante was making damn sure that they weren’t making any missteps that could’ve landed her and their daughter into any amount of danger.

Which was damn unfortunate considering Featherine’s increased need to… be touched.

Alright, so Dante keeps his eyes on his wife nearly full-time and it isn’t like it’s  _ unjustified _ , considering she’s fucking gorgeous.  _ No _ , it didn’t matter to him that she was eight months along - if anything, that made it even more difficult for him to keep his hands off of her. And it wasn’t like he was  _ afraid _ to touch her - because he knows Featherine, and that she can handle quite a bit of roughhousing if it came down to that. She’s no delicate creature, but he does stress if she expresses discomfort, or like… the idea of her going into pre-term labor has stopped him from getting too handsy if they were cuddling on the couch - and he figures this is all valid concern, and Dante  _ wasn’t _ someone who’s own worries kept him from doing things that he wanted which is why he’s so… stupid frustrated.

His hand slipping below her skirt, or tucking his face in between her legs was never an issue - they’d improvise, because who knew what could’ve happened if Dante maybe rocked his hips a little too hard one time. She has no issue sucking him off, or waking him up with her usual teasing - but sometimes, she just wanted to ride him - yet that could be considered  _ strenuous activity _ .

Bullshit.

It’s how she wraps her arms around him from the back, while he polishes off his weapons after a particularly bloody mission - and how she has him touch her belly because both mother and child missed him a whole lot. How she jokes about forging his paperwork so some of his clients would back off and let him stay home for a few more days before Nero takes over within the next month or so - all so terribly frustrating - especially when he presses her lips to hers, and lifts her up off the ground to the couch where they can get a little more intimate.

And he kisses at her neck, and nestles his hips in between her own - fully clothed, teasing this poor woman with what she’s been asking for nearly all weekend before the whole bedrest thing was put into place. 

When Dante sits back, and starts shoving her maxi-dress up her legs, and past her hips - he just kind of sighs, and shakes his head - leaving Featherine perplexed.

“I’ve been thinkin’ about you all goddamn day.”

A hand through his hair, and his gaze pointed to the ceiling - there was no use in being  _ nervous _ . They’re adults, with  _ good _ communication skills, and he knows that if Featherine feels off, or if they see anything that registers as  _ bad _ , that they’d stop. But her eyes light up, and she pushes herself up on her elbows - as much as her body would allow.

“And what would you like to do about that,  _ mi amorcito _ ?”

“Fuck - if you want my honest answer.”

She laughs, seeing the smile on his face widen. Dante rolls his shoulders, seeing how she lays on her back once more - knowing that wasn’t the most comfortable position for her with the pregnancy and all, but the look in her eyes speaks everything that he needs to know - he leans forward, and trails kisses up from her collarbone - his hand slipping in between her legs. 

“I was hoping that you would say that.” She hums, adjusting her hips as he slips her panties off. “A little party wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

They bump noses, grinning against one another - knowing they’re going against doctor’s orders, being  _ irresponsible _ . It almost felt good to be  _ bad _ .

* * *

 

The stress doesn’t lessen as Featherine is further along, and struggles noticeably in her day to day life.

It’s like, a little baffling to Dante how she can just manage to smile and deal with the massive discomfort that comes with being pregnant, and even though he’s crazy excited to become a father - he feels almost  _ guilty _ having to put his wife through all of it. Through their discussing - they said that they wanted at least two - with the chance of twins being relatively high - and he’s second guessing that decision because if she has to deal with this again, he’s going to beg her for forgiveness in the fucking delivery room.

But he takes her out to their favorite restaurant because she’s craving some cheesecake, and expressed sadness about being stuck in the house. Walking helps ease the cramping that she’d been experiencing lately - and they weren’t far from home, should those false contractions turn into  _ real _ ones. And though she’s tired, and kind of wants all of this shit to be done and over with, she hasn’t once spoken about taking it back - insisting she’s enjoyed the ride start to finish.

Dante doesn’t really get it, but he’s happy regardless.

She scrolls through Dante’s phone once her desserts been eaten, because Nero had sent some photos over from their impromptu photo-shoot when they’d gone to the boardwalk a few weeks prior as their final goodbye to the summer. He’d also been drawing some - and Featherine loved seeing his work - still so impressed that he had so much talent. All while he talks to her about some new music he heard while hanging around the shop where he got his guns repaired, enjoying the newer sounds that psychedelic rock had been evolving into in the past couple of years. 

Her smile brightens the room, listening to Dante’s incessant rambling because they’ve been apart for more than three hours. He’s officially on leave from his business, with Nero set to arrive in just a few days - taking up temporary residence with his aunt and uncle so he and Kyrie can apartment shop. 

Featherine slides his phone back to him, pointing out that his phone background is a photo of them standing together by the ocean - the sunset illuminating their frames in a bright golden glow. 

Dante asks for their bill, digging in through his wallet for some cash - wanting to tip Cindy a little nicer this evening, for being so supportive of the two these past couple of years. She always made it a point to sit down and talk to Dante and Featherine about whatever came to her mind, and even presented the two with some recipes for baby food that she was planning on using for whenever she had her  _ own _ children.

His wife reaches for her things, but she’s cut short with a sharp pain, and a gasp that was loud enough to sound throughout the entire restaurant.  _ Another _ .

Dante’s quick to her side, reaching for her hand as the contraction starts to work its way throughout her hips - she squeezes him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. Dante wraps his arm around her, encouraging her to  _ breathe _ \- knowing how hard it was to keep her thoughts straight when the pain was that strong. 

Her grip on him loosens, and though she’s left a little bit shaken, she manages to relax herself, easing into Dante’s hold. They needed to head back home.

“Are you alright to walk?”

Featherine shrugs her shoulders, panting as the pain finally starts to subside - lasting nearly a full minute this time.Their daughter’s birth was approaching a little faster than was anticipated. 

“I-I should be fine. If I need you to carry me I will ask.”

He stifles a laugh, pressing a kiss to her forehead, slipping out from the booth - offering her his hand as she tries to get up from her seat. Watching her struggle wasn’t fun - but she was far too cute for him  _ not _ to smile at. Her legs are still a bit wobbly, and she’s a little out of breath, but once she’s on her feet, and linked to Dante’s arm, she waves off to Cindy - and the two are on their way back home.

Dante doesn’t mind taking it slow for her - as she  _ is _ in her final trimester, and that walking around with a full-sized baby settled on her hips was the least comfortable thing on the planet. She leans on him for support, and he’s able to lean over and press a kiss to the top of her head once they make it to the park - the midway point between the diner and his office. She pulls to a halt, expressing that her back hurts again, and he offers to lift her into his arms - but she rejects, noting that Dante just wants to show off how strong he is.

He doesn’t argue with that.

The statue of Sparda is situated in the middle of the concrete garden - looming over the two on his horse, inaccuracy down to it’s hooves - and though Dante knew his father - better than all of the legends that were spoken about him, and that this statue is nothing more than a hopeful rendition, it still felt oddly comforting to have him here. His father had no grave, after all, considering his family did not know of his fate - only that when he passed, Dante and his brother were able to convey that to their mother near immediately. 

Featherine can tell that he switches his attention to the memorial - and she wraps her arms around his waist, her head pressed against his chest. 

“Do you worry?”

Dante furrows his brows, tightening his hold around his wife.

“Worry about what?”

“About our daughter - about you and I raising a child despite our own time with our parents being cut short.”

Dante pulls away - gently, gazing down into violet eyes. Her face looks wrought with worry, and her grip on his jacket is tight - she doesn’t break away from him, and that’s how he knows she’s serious about it.

It was sort of unspoken, that Dante and Featherine didn’t really know what they were headed into - just that they wanted it, because family was important to them. She’s always seen herself as a mother in her future, wanting to bring joy to a child in this fairly corrupted world. Dante wanted the opportunity to show his children the same love and care that his own mother showed him - the legacy itself that he was born into wasn’t as important as was the gift his mother had given him growing up. 

It wasn’t until… recently that Dante sort of owned up to his status as  _ legendary demon hunter _ \- up until he met Nero, he was happy doing his own thing - hardly being able to look after himself all the while. He wasn’t some big irresponsible  _ manchild _ , but meeting Nero put things into perspective for him - someone was looking up to him, and he wasn’t going to let that kid go through life unsupported.

Now he had his own kid on the way - which is different; raising a child from birth. A kid that was going to be half of him, and half of his loved one - and it invokes a whole array of emotions that he can’t quite understand.

He always assumed that when he held his daughter in his arms, that it would all make sense - but it doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be thinking about it before her arrival. 

Dante pushes Featherine’s bangs from her face, blonde hair tied back into a twist - being much too pregnant to manage her incredibly long, curly locks. She looks tired, and like the fear of being a parent is actually setting in - being so close to her due date and all. He wishes he could take all of the fear and panic from her - all of the pain she’s been subjected to - and he doesn’t know if he should be honest with her, or try and sugar coat it.

But he offers a smile - pressing his lips to her forehead. 

“Yeah, I’m scared.” He says, “I’m not afraid of a lot of things, but raising a kid, and having them be miserable because of who I am? That shit’s terrifying.”

“I don’t want our child to suffer.”

He drops his shoulders, threading his fingers through her hair, thumb brushing against her cheek. Featherine’s eyes glisten with tears - he works through the sadness she expresses, attempting to put together her puzzle. 

Featherine wasn’t one to worry for no reason - he knows this goes a little deeper. It isn’t about his demonhood, and his child’s heritage. 

“You aren’t hurting her by bringing her into the world. We’re doing this because we want her.”

She averts her gaze. 

Sparda’s statue glows in the twilight - the sun setting as they stand still. Instead of furthering the discussion, Dante lifts Featherine into his arms, having seen enough of her being in pain. She doesn’t fight him this time around, linking her arms around his neck. 

They’d handle it.

* * *

Featherine’s exhaustion was starting to get to him, and at this point, all they can do is wait.

Dante had meant what he said when he wanted to make absolutely sure that his wife was comfortable for the final stretch of her pregnancy, but it was sort of an impossible task, as she was stuck in bed and experiencing frequent false contractions that kept her up at night.

He massages into her back, and whispers kind words into her ear - hand lingering on her belly to quell their restless child. Featherine’s cried her eyes dry, keeping him by her side for hours at a time - just to bask in one another’s presence, and not have to concern themselves with the chaos occurring outside. Kyrie brings Featherine food, though she can hardly keep any of it down, and it starts getting Dante’s mind racing.

He has nobody to ask.

And he kind of curses about it - because it’s exactly what Featherine had expressed to him just the other day. They don’t know what they’re doing, and Dante’s mother has been dead for nearly thirty years. He can’t ask her for advice.

So all he can do is watch his wife lay in discomfort, and yet she still hums to their baby, and tells Dante that she hopes that their daughter has his hair, and his eyes - that they’re going to be able to take her to the beach someday, or visit Fortuna and teach her about Sparda’s legacy, and what it meant for their family. She’s  _ exhausted _ , but she tries going about things her usual way - optimism. 

He hates feeling that sort of pain - empathy,  _ empathy _ . He lets Featherine pull him to her chest, without saying a word. He wishes that these fears weren’t so deep seated in his heart, because he can’t even bear to think about the struggles his nephew went through. Thinking about his own past was torture enough - and now he’s bringing a child into this world that’s going to endure a similar fate. No, he can’t see the future - but it’s the warmth he feels when he rests his hand against Featherine’s belly, the knowledge that Francesca is going to be burdened with Sparda’s legacy, just as Nero was despite his near complete removal from the situation. It’s how drastically Featherine’s scent had changed during her pregnancy - that even though she was of human species, Dante was still able to  _ taint _ her body for this process. 

Dante doesn’t… know how to properly distribute these overwhelming emotions - so he stays quiet. 

He repeats what he’d told his wife - that they weren’t hurting Francesca by bringing her into this world. That they were doing this because of their desire to become parents, and to show their baby the love that they were unable to retrieve on their own because of their bloody pasts. Dante had so much of it to give - and he wasn’t about to back down because he was afraid.

Featherine doesn’t want their child to suffer, but Dante isn’t going to let her. No matter the circumstances.

If she’s born with horns, or endures a painful transformation - if she’s teased for her white hair, and if she turns out to be six feet tall by the time she’s 13; Francesca is going to be loved by her parents, and her surrounding family - and she wasn’t going to be alone.

Dante and Featherine weren’t going to be alone in raising her.

He pushes himself up, face to face with his beloved - knowing she’d been thinking similar thoughts. He knows her fears lay similar, that she doesn’t want her baby to feel alone. He doesn’t even have to say anything to have her eyes glisten with tears - they can read each other just fine.

His hands brush her hair from her face - heart pounding in his chest - but he’s affirmative.

Dante leans in, and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead, allowing his hand to travel to the swell of her stomach, feeling the gentle movement from their baby within, impatient and ready to get out into the world, and he fights back a smile.

“We’re not doing this alone.”

* * *

 

Dante likes to think both his mother and father would scorn him if he tried to be anywhere else during the birth of his first child, and it’s not like he’s  _ trying _ , but goddamn if he isn’t literally running and pushing through crowds to make his way back to his office, with Nero on his trail.

October 30th, the contractions started, and the expecting couple were given instruction, and points during the process when they  _ should _ panic, and up until about two hours ago, they weren’t panicking. The midwife requests some items for the birth - none of which were too hard to come by, but it was the night before Halloween, and stores were absolutely  _ packed _ with pre-party bullshit, and people stumbling around drunk, in costume, for events within the city.

It’s nearly midnight, and Dante gets a call that Featherine’s water finally broke, and that this kid is coming within the next couple of hours.

Nero notes that Francesca being born on Halloween was completely on brand.

But he’s still cursing the fact that he’s been gone, and hasn’t been by Featherine’s side while she was going through some of the worst of labor. She insisted to him that she was okay to be without him for a little bit, because Kyrie, Trish, and Lady were there to help should she need anything, and they were all doing everything possible to keep Featherine occupied, and as comfortable as can be while her body felt like it was being split in two.

He’s  _ not _ going to miss Francesca’s first cries - but trying to navigate through the city while all this stupid shit was happening was stressing him out to the point of his eyes changing color, and Nero has to put his hand on his uncle’s shoulder and tell him to calm the fuck down - pay for their shit, run back to the office, have a baby.

Dante stares at the cashier directly in the eyes, noting that she was horrified of this big, six foot two, silver haired man - stuffing mass towels into a guitar case - where he stored his fucking sword.

Nero thanks her, and pushes his uncle out of the shop, and down the street.

Almost immediately after walking in - Featherine’s curses can be heard from upstairs, and Kyrie’s sitting in the living area, wide eyed, while Lady chugs down a beer.

“Godspeed with all that shit, Dante.” Lady says, “Featherine might actually choke you out.”

“I wish she would” 

Dante waves off to his friend, as well as Nero and Kyrie - who are stone still, Nero  _ just _ walked in and he’s not bothering with trying to see how everything’s going. Kyrie’s seen enough. 

What he finds is Featherine curled into a ball, while Trish holds her hand and pets through her hair - she’d been trying to sleep through contractions, but they’ve become so intense that all she can do is shiver in bed between them - clutching onto the nearest person who would help her breathe through the next one. 

The midwife’s overjoyed to see Dante with everything she asked for, and offers to help Featherine up so they can get her cleaned off, and ready for the next phase. It’s now that Trish hands his wife over - giving Featherine an encouraging squeeze of the hand, and Dante a gentle pat on the back.

“You’ve got this, tiger.” She smiles to him, closing the door on her way out.

There’s no hesitation when Dante rushes to Featherine’s side, the midwife’s given them their privacy in order for her to continue with preparations. He lifts his beloved into his arms, her body heavy with exhaustion - sweat has matted her hair to her face, and her dark skin is flushed, red and puffy. He knows this process was far from a fun one, and he  _ knows _ he’s not even experiencing any of it - telling Featherine he wished he could take that pain away would be an empty notion.

Granted, Dante’s been stabbed, thrown, slapped, transformed, brought into hell itself several times, and he still doesn’t think he’d ever want to take on  _ child birth _ .

Featherine lifts her head, and she manages a gentle smile.

“This is the worst fucking thing I have ever had to endure.”

He laughs, shifting her in his hold, allowing her to get more comfortable as much as the pain would allow it. She’s grabbed his hand, already squeezing it tightly, and through breaths, she relaxes into his arms. Her head’s pressed against his chest, his warmth almost unbearable, but  _ necessary _ \- they can only hope that this isn’t an all night affair. 

“What’s the midwife been sayin’? Everything’s good?”

“Mm - everything’s progressing smoothly… it sure as hell does not feel smooth.” She huffs, “The baby is in the proper position - all we’re waiting for are the contractions to pick up in frequency.”

“So you’re not even through the worst of it! Glad I didn’t miss much!”

“You are an asshole.”

Their laughter is cut short when she feels another one working it’s way throughout her hips - the pain radiates throughout her lower body, and the grip she has on Dante’s hand  _ nearly crushes him _ . He makes it a point to keep her focus - breathing with him so she doesn’t pass out from the shock of it all. Her cries are filled with genuine agony, muffled as she presses her head into the fabric of his shirt - he counts the length of the contraction itself, and judging from what the midwife and Trish had filled him in on - this was a doozy.

Featherine trembles, attempting to adjust herself once more.

“It could be worse.” She huffs, “This could have been twins.”

“I’m glad for both of our sake that those genes didn’t take control.”

Featherine laughs.

As the contractions became a little more predictable, and Dante was getting the hang of how often they were occurring, and how long they lasted, he knows that calling the midwife in would be a good idea. Making sure that Dante and Featherine had their alone time during this… rather stressful, but joyous occasion was important for them - one of the pluses of doing all of this  _ at home _ was that they could just… progress without worrying about anybody really getting invasive. 

Sure a handful of their friends were currently camped out in Dante’s living room -  _ waiting _ \- but they were the people he’d give his life for. They weren’t here out of an obligation - it was because they were family, and they loved one another.

Dante and Featherine had been alone for so long - and in the strangest turn of events, they were surrounded by family, and were just about to welcome the newest member to this strange world. 

And as Featherine has that knowing feeling, that this kid is about to rock their world, Dante holds her close.

“We’re doin’ this, baby - you and me, mom and dad.” He cups her face for a quick moment, kissing Featherine on her forehead. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

She chokes out a cry, that next contraction looming - her mind finally coming to terms that she was going to hold her daughter within mere hours. 

“Dante - I - “ She gasps, “ _ Thank _ you… I never thought - “

“I love you, Featherine.” 

Featherine smiles, taking Dante’s hand once more.

“And I you - “ A pause, watching as the midwife finally makes her entrance. “But I am  _ so _ fucking ready for this to be over.”

And through the screaming, and the breaking of Dante’s bones - Featherine clings onto her husband as her life depends on it. He keeps his cool, but he knows he’s wrought with worry, pressing his face into her hair, occasionally meeting eye contact with the midwife who informs them of every bloody fucking detail that was going down. He’s got no idea what nearly any of it means, but it all sounded terribly optimistic.

He can’t help but have his mind race as Featherine goes through the motions; all those fears settling on the surface. What if something had gone  _ wrong _ , or if this really  _ was _ a mistake - that Dante wasn’t allowed to have this immense happiness in his life, and have children of his own, with the woman he loved. He doesn’t want to think about how he could’ve just ruined Featherine’s life, or his child’s - but it still plagues at him.

And Featherine cries out, begging for the pain to  _ stop _ , and it tugs at his stupid heart so much, that he mutters quiet apologies, and assures her that he loves her, and that it’s gonna be worth it.

And  _ suddenly _ .

Dante’s breath is taken away when he sees the midwife retrieve a screaming, bloody infant, wailing her little limbs around - his eyes are wide, and every worry on his mind had been wiped clean. Nothing else matters right now - she had finally made it.

Featherine gasps for air, finally letting go of her husband’s hand, falling back into his embrace - they both watch as their baby is toweled off, adorned in the blanket they’d prepared for her.

Francesca is placed on her mother’s chest, and nothing else matters.

Dante and Featherine were  _ parents _ .

* * *

 

Francesca is beautiful; sleeping snugly in her mother’s arms, wrapped in a violet blanket - a white tuft of hair sprouts from her head, and her puffy baby face makes her look pissed off but it’s cute as hell. 

Dante hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off of her.

He looks at Featherine, visibly exhausted, but radiating warmth - love for her baby. She’s wrapped in her husband’s embrace, who hasn’t stepped away for a moment - the others could wait while they basked in their newfound parenthood - though it was also four o’clock in the morning on October 31st. They’re both tired - but unwilling to part with Francesca for the moment - they’d get their sleep eventually.

A new father reaches his hand to his baby’s cheek, still in disbelief that she was _actually_ _real_ , and Francesca scrunches her little features together, and adjusts her head - and Dante practically explodes.

That’s his fuckin’  _ daughter _ .

“It was all worth it.” Featherine says, “I would do this again with you.”

Dante laughs, pressing a kiss to his lover’s cheek.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, sweetheart. Still got diapers to change.”

She scoffs, resting her eyes as she lays back against her husband.

“Don’t doubt me, Dante.”

* * *

 

There really was something kinda  _ magical _ about watching your loved ones fawn over your new baby.

It’s in the way Lady and Trish kind of keep their distance because babies are so fuckin’ small and fragile, but they comment on Francesca’s lil’ face - and how stupid they thought it was that she already resembled her parents even though she kinda looked like a raisin. They talk about how Featherine  _ doesn’t _ look like she just spent 12 hours in labor, and how mad they are about it - not that either one of them even planned on popping out kids, Featherine really just managed to look like her top game.

What  _ really _ gets to them is when Kyrie is given the opportunity to hold the infant, and she  _ immediately _ bursts into tears - prompting Francesca to open her eyes and stare at the red haired woman in curiosity, but Kyrie keeps looking at Nero with big, emotional eyes and stating in disbelief; ‘ _ this is your cousin _ .’

Nero’s so flustered at it all, and Dante and Featherine give each other a  _ knowing _ smile. 

“Frankie’s gonna get used to you lot  _ real _ fast.” Dante says, watching as Kyrie hands the baby off to her boyfriend, who looks  _ terrified _ by the mere idea. “You alright, kid?”

“S-Should I even be holding her?”

“Your arm ain’t gonna hurt her, Nero.”    

His nephew stays quiet, holding the purple bundle in his arms. 

Nero had a joke somewhere, about his father and Dante being identical twins - laughing thinking about how they technically shared half of the same DNA - but the joke’s lost when he actually looks down at the baby, and he breaks out into a smile.

“Jesus - those Sparda genes really shine through, huh?”

“I was hoping she wouldn’t get our nose.” Dante cracks a grin, sitting beside his wife in their bed. “Still kinda hard to tell.”

Featherine looks to her husband, scoffing.

“I like your nose.”

The two exchange silly faces, sticking their tongues out at one another.

But Nero continues to hold his cousin close, a gentle bounce in his arms as Francesca stirs in her sleep. It kind of  _ is _ how Trish and Lady were saying - that the resemblance to her parents was already apparent to them all - which like,  _ duh _ , of course she looks like them, but being able to actually puzzle her features together was almost entertaining. 

He knows there’s practically a twenty year difference between them both, but it does, in a lot of ways, feel like he’s holding a younger sibling, and it’s such a weird feeling that he can’t shake, and he isn’t sure if he wants to. He doesn’t notice that his arm glows for a quick second - but Dante and Featherine do, and their smiles say it all. In that moment, he vows to help this kid out as much as he possibly can - she was his family, after all.

Nero brushes against Francesca’s cheek with the back of his claw.

“Well, Frankie. Welcome to the chaos.”

* * *

 

Francesca grows; and she’s got her father’s white hair, and blue eyes, but her mother’s complexion, and round face.

It didn’t take Dante long to get it - that pride he felt whenever he laid eyes on his daughter, often crawling around his office, babbling some incoherent baby nonsense. He’d encourage her, much to Featherine’s humor - watching their kid learn how to work her little arms and legs, vocalizing whenever she was happy about something - anything, even. He loves that he can scoop her up from the floor and pester her with kisses, and she’d laugh  _ every _ time - without fail.

He could argue that his heart was stolen the second he found out Featherine was pregnant, or when he held Frankie in his arms for the first time - minutes after her birth, but the feeling only amplified with every day that he spent with his family.

Dante tries putting her in matching outfits, and fitting oversized sunglasses on her chubby face. Frankie’s got curly hair, much like her mother, that Dante likes messying up, and that Featherine insists on doing up with cute bows, and flowers, and  _ jesus _ , if his daughter isn’t  _ the _ cutest thing that he’d ever laid his goddamn eyes on. She likes taking naps with him, and sometimes he’d take out his guitar (that had certainly been covered in dust before all this parenting shit,) and strum soft melodies for her to stare at Dante, wide-eyed, before giving in to the temptation of sleep. They share ice cream, and she’s fond of strawberries (though still too young to enjoy a pizza - that would come in due time,) and Dante’s already gotten the opportunity to show her off at his favorite diner - Cindy had let her eat for free.

Most of all, he loves getting the opportunity to see Featherine be Francesca’s mother - how much thought she puts into nearly everything she does for their daughter. The gentle songs she’d sing, and that she’d talk to Frankie in her mother tongue - passing down her knowledge from her own mother, and using it well. Featherine’s there for every cry, every laugh, every time Frankie stumbles when she tries standing on her wobbly legs.

Her first word is the Spanish word for  _ please _ , and she’ll often point to something she wants with a quiet, ‘ _ pa fava _ ’ - but mommy and daddy are quick to follow, and Featherine laughs at Dante because Frankie hasn’t quite understood that dad isn’t bilingual, and sometimes can’t communicate with the two as freely. Sometimes Frankie’s sentences are jumbled between both languages, but Featherine’s stressed that she just wanted to introduce their daughter early, and that when she gets older, she’ll be able to communicate in both almost effortlessly. 

Frankie is acquainted to her lineage fairly early - really, as soon as Nero held her in his arms.

Dante’s asked Nero if he had healing abilities growing up, or hints at super strength - and he’s said yes to nearly every question, but Dante still has a difficult time wrapping his head around when he sees it in action. 

Nero is one of Frankie’s favorite people to see, regardless. He always sits and colors with her, whenever they’ve got downtime, and he gives her some of his lineart to fill in with some crayons, and sometimes Nero will even take it home and re-draw everything with the colors that she used. Two year olds had interesting visions, and he was happy to have her see it come to life.

And with Nero, there’s Kyrie - who takes any opportunity to help them out with the baby, and assist Featherine with some business duties - they lived much closer, now, allowing them to see each other fairly frequently. Trish and Lady are around every week or so, bringing back oddities from their missions, and pestering Dante on which devil arm he was going to gift his daughter when she grew old enough - or when they could start teaching her how to kick ass. 

It’s how they manage to sit and have dinner with each other at the end of the week, be it a meal prepared by Featherine and Kyrie, or some takeout when they were feeling lazy. It’s when Nero asks Dante how he should go about proposing to Kyrie, and that he’d want Frankie to toss flowers for her down the aisle. It’s every holiday they spend together, and each argument they get into if it’s even ethical for a demon-hybrid family to exchange gifts with one another.

It took a really long time - but Dante had gotten his wish of being surrounded by family.

His daughter is hooked against his wife’s hip, as the group of three make their way through the forest filled graveyard. Once again, he visits his mother’s memorial on her birthday, bearing new memories for her.

He promised her that he’d introduce Francesca, after all.

Dante smiles, seeing Frankie placed down on the grass - holding an elaborate drawing in her tiny hands; mixed media - crayons, markers, and stickers, but she toddles forward, placing it against the tombstone, like her father asked her to. He feels like it’s a little bit dark - taking his toddler-aged daughter to a graveyard - but Featherine had actually encouraged him, saying that maybe it’d give him some peace of mind.

Everything he’d been doing in life  _ was _ in honor of Eva’s memory. He was sure that it would have made her happy to see that Dante was able to move on from his tragedy, and find meaning elsewhere. 

He imagines his mother scooping Frankie up into her arms, and bawling her eyes out over her granddaughter - she threatens Dante to be good to his wife, and child, and says that she’s  _ watching _ him and will kick his ass if he does anything stupid. She’d go on about how she pulled Vergil by his hair when she found out about Nero, and then say something along the lines of ‘ _ I expected that from  _ **_you_ ** _ , Dante, but Verg?!’ _ \- and had Nero been here, she would’ve spoiled him rotten and said some weird shit about how his arm resembled Sparda’s quite a bit, but that he should be proud of it. 

Eva comments on how lucky Dante is for finding Featherine, and goes on to tell stories on how much of a dumbass he was as a child for his wife to laugh at. She’d ask if they were planning on having any more children, which the answer is  _ yes _ , and that they better visit whenever that baby #2  _ does _ happen. She says that she loves Francesca’s face - that they’ve got good genes, and Frankie’s going to grow up to be a goddamn bombshell, with those curls that she’s so terribly jealous of. And one last reiteration that Dante and Featherine are wonderful parents - that they should be proud of the little devil they brought into the world. And that it was alright for them to be scared, and unsure of things - but if they had any questions, they could ask her - and be assured that they weren’t alone. 

Lastly, after handing Francesca off to Featherine, Eva throws her arms around her six foot two son, squeezing him tightly. She says she’s proud of him - and that she loves him, and his brother - despite their differences. With that, she needs to meet their father somewhere - because he wasn’t able to return to the world of the humans as freely, but that she was taking all of the pictures he’d brought, and that she was going to show him - and he’d go crazy knowing that all of this shit happened without him being there, but maybe he’d shed a tear or two - cuz only Eva had seen him cry.

Dante looks at her stone once more, heart full with a new resolve.

“Sweetheart, do you mind?”

Featherine’s voice is gentle, as she offers their daughter to him - and he accepts, holding Francesca close in his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

His wife kneels down, touching her hand to the surface of Eva’s grave, fingertips dancing along the writing. Her wrist glows a gentle gold, and flowers start sprouting out of the palm of her hand - vines wrap around the stone, decorating it with hyacinths - purple, and white - new foliage flourishing around the site - and finally, she pulls back, a satisfied smile graces her lips.

“Thank you, Eva - for allowing me to be with your son.” She says, “I promise to look after our family for you.”

Dante’s hidden his face in his daughter’s hair, his heart heavy at the sight of his wife, but she swiftly makes her way back to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist - allowing them to make their way back to the office, where the rest of their family waited.

He smiles when she leans her head against his shoulder, and when Frankie starts pointing at the different creatures gracing the walkway, trying to get her pronunciation right.

Dante leans in, and kisses at the crown of Featherine’s head, earning a gentle laugh.

“I’ve got rotten luck, yunno. Really makes no sense that I’m as happy as I am right now.”

A smile, Featherine hums as she swings around in front of her husband and child, admiring her family before her.

“Safe to say you’ve hit the jackpot, huh.”

Dante laughs.

“Yeah - I really did.”

**Author's Note:**

> ([tumblr](http://www.pepsipink.tumblr.com)) / ([twitter](http://www.twitter.com/sodapopcore))
> 
> see yall march 8th


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